A Thanksgiving Post: It Takes More Than a Village

For my Thanksgiving week post, I thought I would attempt to thank all the people who have helped my books get written and get sold, and those who have otherwise helped put bread (and chocolate) on my table as CEO of bigwords101.  I will no doubt miss some people; there are so many of you who have befriended, inspired, assisted, bought, and marketed my books; and so many of you who have allowed me to copyedit your books.

First I need to thank my children, Jake and Shelley, for without them I am nothing. (Also thank you to their father Brian, without whom they wouldn’t be here!).And Joshua Bindon, my new son (in-law) and the Bindon family, who have made my daughter so happy!

My dear friends: Bobbi Noderer and her husband Dave, Norma Sadow, Edie and Jim Partridge, Francis Caballo, and Jeannie Thomas.

My business coach: John DeGaetano

All of you who are reading this blog post: Insert your name here! And anyone who has ever bought any of my books: Your name here.

My old friends from school back East, whom I reconnected with on Facebook and were the first people to buy my books: Teresa Strait Davis, Eileen Curley Tweed, Sheryl Currier, Jim Messina, Don Grohman, Linda Yaloff, and everyone else — you know who you are!

My friends from the education field: Robin Kneeland, Marty Murphy, Heidi Sager, Carol Ann Street, Linda Thompson (special thanks for using my book in her class ), Dr. John Walker of St. Vincent’s High School, Linda Burbank, John Lehmann, Jon Day (a super supportive colleague), John Bribiescas, Anne Osterlye, Ron Everett (for granting me leave), Patty Buzard, Charlene Nugent, Bob Hermann, and everyone else!

Special thanks to Cory Gilman and Barry Sovel for convincing me to become a teacher, which led me to even consider writing grammar books. And Elaine Smith at Elan Gym for being the first person I told about my germ of an idea for my grammar book.

People who helped me produce my books: Pete Masterson, Marny Parkin, Carol Vuilemenot, Ron Teplitz, Matt Hinrich, Joel Friedlander, Linda Jay, Val Sherer,  Amazon’s Create Space, Lightning Source, Book Baby, and Kindle.

The excellent people at Petaluma, CA Copperfields: Grace Bogart and Ray Lawrason, and Alex at the horribly missed Borders in Santa Rosa for allowing me several book launches and signings.  A special thank you to Jeane Slone and Mona Mechling for distributing my books at Sonoma County coffeeshops and other venues. And to Robin Moore who has allowed be to be a featured reader at Open Mike. Gary Carnivale for his excellent videos at the readings.

Thanks to the Petaluma and Guerneville public libraries for letting me speak and to Jim Partridge and Bryce Hodge for a great videotaping job!

Thanks to all the unknown (and known) people who have bought my books and commented on them on Amazon, Teachers Pay Teachers, and other sites.

To all of you who have so generously offered blurbs for my book covers: Best-selling author Sheldon Siegel, Dawn Josephson, K.Patrick McDonald, Myrna Ericksen, Handsome Ransom Stephens,  Erik Kassebaum, Jeannie Thomas, Ana Manwaring, Jeane Slone, Dr. Jon Walker, Persia Woolley, David Watts, Tim Nonn, Gary Miller, Dave Noderer, and Robin Moore. Most of all to Dr. Susan Behrens who has gone way beyond the call of duty, writing blurbs and being a Beta reader for my new workbook. Thank you, Susan!

Thank you also to Joy Hermson whose class inspired me to start a business, Maureen Richardson (now herself an author) who handles the $$$, Jim Troxel who figures out my taxes,  and the fabulous Gileeeeee Namur who creates and fixes the website.

Thank you to Marie Millard, my writing colleague who thought of the name for my book Correct Me If I’m Wrong, and is wholly responsible for that book being written at all!

To everyone who helped me and helped my books become a little more known in the media: Chris Smith, Yovonna Bieberich and the other people at the Petaluma Argus Courier, Tim Nonn and Frances Rivetti who started it all for me, Dan Taylor and the people at the Press Democrat, Gil Mansergh at KQED, and of course Ronn Owens at KSO radio San Francisco. And Ransom Stephens who was responsible for my meeting Tim Nonn in the first place. And then Phoebe Antonio who always manages to come to my signings. And Bart Scott who wrote his excellent novel alongside me during NaNoWriMo 2011 and has remained a friend. And Joe Peer, my actor friend, who used to motivate me, and I him, during our coffees at Aqus Cafe.

And, of course, Starbucks, who provided me with the stamina and ambience to do much of my work (and Peets to a much lesser degree, but that’s where I met Ransom Stephens and Tim Nonn, so….) Thanks, baristas!

I am grateful to all the people who let me speak about grammar: Michael Meyers, Michael Powell, various Rotarians, Dave LaRoche, Sharon Hamilton, Judy Baker at BAIPA, Linda Reid — who was the person who told me I actually could speak in public,  Redwood Writers, and other people already mentioned. And Joylene Butler, whose blog I was a guest writer on.

The wonderful people at College of Marin for whom I have been teaching a community ed class on grammar, and Kristen in the court reporting program for inviting me to speak.

My many friends at Redwood Writers, who are too numerous to mention (and many are mentioned elsewhere): Al King, Robbie Sommers Bryant, Susan Littlefield, Robin Moore, Kay Miller, Amanda McTigue, the incredible Linda Reid, Ann Hutchinson, and on and on.

My many friends at BAIPA who have helped me so much and been so inspirational: Joel Friedlander, Joel Friedlander, and Joel Friedlander! Judy Baker, Val Sherer, Linda Jay, Veronica the Computer Tutor, Rob Badger, agent Peter Berens (who offered to shop my book around), Gordon Burgett, Lee Foster, and on and on.

The many people who trusted me edit their writing: Shane McGarrett, Rosalinda Randall, Susan Solomon, Renee Dumbadse, Amanda Bindon, Dallas Stainthorp, Sharon Hamiton, Pamela Taeuffer, Frances Caballo, Jeannie Thomas, Tujuana Common, Amber Starfire,  Gwen Grace, Waights Taylor, Armando Garcia DeVilla, Marvin Shepherd, Chris Bruce, Lisa Nolan, Kay Mehl Miller, Linda Reid, Kent Sorenson, and Lorene D’adam….and I know there are more.

And to the following people who have crossed my path on this journey and have so inspired me: Paul Claeyssens, Mignon Fogarty (The Grammar Girl!!!), Mark Coker, Brian Felson, Penny Sansievieri, Patricia V, Davis, and everyone else I have heard speak and who made me just want to go home and build an empire!

To every connection I have on LinkedIn and other social media….you have helped too.

And then there are a bunch of you who have made testimonials on my website, and to you– a big thank you!

So you see…..it takes more than a village to inspire, motivate, help create, market, and support an entrepreneur and author like me. So thank you all. Have a blessed Thanksgiving. We will get back to talking about words and grammar next week. I promise.

And if I have forgotten your name here, I haven’t forgotten you.